


Codependence

by RyuichiroSakuraba



Series: Coexistence [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII Series
Genre: Hope having a slight potty mouth when alone with Snow, M/M, Pre-Slash, Shounen-ai, slight spoilers for other FFXIII titles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 07:32:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5735113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyuichiroSakuraba/pseuds/RyuichiroSakuraba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The girls often goes out turtle hunting, leaving Hope questioning his worth. Snow comes to the rescue, being the self-proclaimed hero he is. Unfortunately, things aren't all piece of cake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Codependence

**Author's Note:**

> Whew. I've been dormant for like... Years? I just got a PS3 recently, my little bro got a copy of FF XIII and it was a blast. I've been following a ton of SnowxHope fics for the longest time so I thought, why not?
> 
> Pardon my lame excuse to play with these two. And here's to wishing that my hunky muse will keep singing to me so I can continue all the fics that I kinda left unattended for long. Without further ado, enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> As usual, I don't own anything from Square Enix's realm of existence.

Running throughout Gran Pulse could be quite a chore; gathering materials for improving the team’s rather diverse set of equipment brought a hell lot of royal pain in the ass, as far as Fang’s colorful vocabulary is concerned. Hunting Adamantoises proved to be a daunting task, but the rewards were just too good to pass up on.

The Pulse l’Cie had been razing across the Archlyte Steppes like a wildfire for days, and just relying on Vanille’s one-hit knockdown spell all the time could get too boring yet extremely effective, judging by Snow’s ranting about being benched during some, if not most, of the fights.

“The girls are just having all the fun,” he muttered while knocking some fruits from some random palm-like tree with a focused punch.

Hope cannot help but agree. Sure, they felt stronger from completing the foci of Cie’th stones scattered across Gran Pulse, yet the lack of action might cause even the greatest of warriors to stagnate and turn rusty.

The resident boomerang wielder, out of boredom, kicked a stone to the water near their camp in Vallis Media, cringing soon after hearing Snow’s groaning when a hard-shelled Pulsian fruit fell exactly on his obviously thick skull – no pun intended.

“Damn, this sucks,” Hope mumbled, crossing his arms behind his head as he approached the poor blonde and conjured a quick Cure to ease the bump hidden underneath the sentinel’s bandanna.

“Sorry, kid. I should’ve been a little more careful there.” Snow flashed a pained grin, slumping on the ground while relishing the silver medic’s gentle touch on his head. “And man, I knew Fang’s influence would be a kinda bad on your choice of words. Good thing Sazh and Lightning aren’t around or they might’ve chewed your ear off with lectures about language and stuff.”

The boy sighed and thunked the blonde’s freshly-healed head before setting a hand on his hip, disapproval gracing his features.

“Shut up. And I’m not a kid.”

“Haha! Says the one who doesn’t even have leg hair. That makes me a decrepit old man, right?” Snow chided, completely oblivious of Hope’s nose-scrunching.

“Please don’t make those comments in front of Sazh. He can be sensitive sometimes.”

“And you’re not?”

“Ah, forget it,” the silver-haired boy sighed for the second time in dismissal. Despite their usual arguments when it comes to battle tactics and petty things, he cannot stay angry at the blockhead for some reason. Maybe that’s because he’s all sunshine – very much like Vanille, just high on testosterone.

Oh, that didn’t paint a good picture.

Noticing the kid’s somber mood, the blonde apologized profusely, scratching the back of his head as if not knowing what to say next. “Aw Hope, I didn’t mean to tick you off.”

“Nah, it’s alright. I wasn’t talking about you earlier,” Hope squatted on the ground and took out his boomerang and played with it, its tell-tale clicking floating lazily between them. “It’s just that, um, the boredom eats away my sanity right now. I can’t stay put.”

“Now you tell me,” Snow seconded, resuming his crude way of harvesting fruit. “Imagine everyone’s advancing, and you feel like you’re not needed anymore,” he continued, sounding a little lost despite his cheerfully brash tone.

True enough, Hope seemed to notice that their ragtag team doesn’t need too much protection as of late. Lightning’s and Fang’s combat prowess could attest to that; they burn the opposition to a crisp with a few launches and sorts – not to mention Vanille’s versatility in the midst of battle too when things went hairy.

“I still need you,” Hope said out of the blue, halting the blonde mid-punch, Snow turning at him with a rather questioning look. He did not know what made him say those words in the first place.

Realizing that he must have said something to confuse the sentinel, he shook his head, clearing his thoughts and wracking his brain for a suitable response to the unspoken query. “Well…you cover my ass whenever I try to cast a spell chain. Flinching while you’re preparing an Aeroga is a bitch.”

Snow’s eyes twinkled instantly at the boy’s appreciation of his tanking skills, not minding the younger’s caustic word choice. “Of course! That’s what heroes do!” he exclaimed, huffing his broad chest while standing proud.

“I was taught that heroes should do more awesome things. Looks like my expectations were a bit too high,” Hope said a tad dejectedly, but the tiny mirth in his eyes told a different story. He stood and sheathed his weapon before walking away, heading to the comm port at their base to check the Unicorn Mart for potions and sorts in case something goes wrong – the Medic role cannot function under Fog status.

“Hey Hope, wait up! What’s got your panties in a twist?”

“I don’t wear those, thank you very much.”

“Oh, so you’d rather go Commando then?”

“…”

The shaking of Hope’s shoulders told Snow that this would be fun. Killing time while waiting for the girls can be dull but with the kid, well, things always turned out to be great.

* * *

 “Hey everyone! We’re back!”

Hours passed and girls arrived, seemingly tired but uninjured nonetheless. Lightning walked regally towards the comm port to record their progress for today, Fang approached the bonfire and appraised the roasting Gorgonopsid on a spit, while Vanille chattered animatedly about their encounters earlier.

“That was tiring, but Pulse creatures are no match to us!” Vanille exclaimed, setting the knapsack she was lugging around on the ground with a thump and began rummaging its contents. Her demeanor was contagious, and the team couldn’t help but have their own versions of a smile while she mumbled unintelligible strings of words with their names sprinkled in between.

“Haha! You don’t seem so tired though. Go catch more gorgonopsids for dinner!” Snow teased, gaining a mock-pout from the said girl.

“Unlike you, Mr. Tough Guy, my muscles are practically screaming right now,” the Dia clan member tried her best to look exhausted but it failed miserably. “Anyway, here!”

Snow caught the lump of black rock tossed to him. “…Trapezohedron?”

“Yup! We were totally lucky earlier, so there’s enough for everyone!” she cheered, chucking a piece of the valuable ore to everyone in a playful manner.

Lightning stashed the upgrade material in one of her carriers and joined the group sitting by the fire. “Make sure you get your weapons honed before we head out tomorrow. We’ll be tackling more Cie’th stone foci after lunch, so don’t forget.”

“Sweet. I was actually thinking of testing these babies when they get Trapped,” Sazh remarked with zeal and snatched the meat from the fire. “Now, you girls must be famished so let me do the honors of giving you the prime portions.”

“Aw pops, you’ll destroy my figure,” Vanille mumbled, but Fang knew better.

The Yun flicked her hair and shrugged nonchalantly. “With the workout we get every day, you’ll burn those by the first minute. Ooh, and you just love roasted wolf so indulge. No need to be shy about it.”

“Faaaaaang!”

The l’Cie continued to have their hearty dinner in the wild and exchanged provisional battle tactics that would be tested for efficiency come next morning – aside from the youngest member who sported a small smile and just replied briefly when asked. Lightning took note of it, but the boy was mostly silent to begin with so she dismissed it, thinking that Hope might be processing the information and ingraining it to his memory.

However, it did not go unnoticed to Snow; sure, he is dense most of the time (and he himself knows it), but his exchange with Hope earlier told him that the boy required immediate attention. He’s the one closest to the youngest l’Cie, after all. He had a nagging thought that if things continued as it is, they might see another Eidolon battle. Alexander is not to be messed up with; he was totally worried that he failed his promise to Nora when Hope took was not waking up for days after the ordeal. Despite the fact that they are considerably stronger now, an Eidolon is a divine being in the first place, no matter how anyone put it.

Snow may be all brawn, bulk, and muscle, but when his brain works, it could be a truly interesting sight.

* * *

 “Lightning, do you have a minute?”

She raised her eyebrow at Snow’s question. Thankful that he suggested taking the second half of guard duty tonight to let her sleep a little longer, she felt it was fair enough to hear him out.

“What is it?” she started, wondering what the blonde would like to talk about, only to be surprised when she faced the man.

He looked serious. The crimson glow from the bonfire marking his rugged features only accentuated his almost grim look, solidifying the fact that whatever it was, he meant business.

For once, Snow was not scratching his head nor sounding all-sunshiny. Unusual, Lightning noted, feeling a tiny bit of tension in the air.

“Can I take Hope later?”

 _“So it isn’t about Serah this time,”_ she thought, confused at the blonde’s subject to discussion.

Snow took a sharp intake of air before continuing, “He wants – no, he _needs_ to get out there. Hope’s having a slump and I think it’s not healthy for him to stay cooped up.”

Remembering quickly that only she, Fang and Vanille carried out relatively advanced expeditions in search for materials and gil sources; it did not take too much time for Lightning to put two and two together. She stayed silent, urging the blonde to enlighten her some more.

“I feel, I dunno, stagnant?”

Lightning was about to say something about working efficiently, but was soon interrupted by Snow, as if he knew what she was thinking.

“I know you’re keeping harm away from him, but Hope’s strong; his intellect on the battlefield rivals my strength. And don’t mind me; even if I’m bored to death when you’re out there hunting, I’m confident that I will do my role well, but Hope…he feels he’s getting left behind again.”

She closed her eyes for a few moments. True, Hope can pretty much hold his own battles, recalling their run on the Nutriculture Complex back in Cocoon. She…just doesn’t want Hope to break the second time around. Lightning did not need to scrutinize every single detail of her comrades; they were reliable enough to be with anyone in the group.

Releasing a sigh, Lightning eased her tense shoulders and stood from the rock she was sitting on. “Of all people, it’s just my luck that you would be the one to imply that we’re babysitting him, when you’re the one who’s _always_ by his side to cover him when he’s supposed to shine.”

Snow flashed angry look as she turned away, gazing at the dark clearing in front of the camp.

“Very well, you or Hope can take over the tortoise hunt later, given the condition that I’ll be joining you,” she said with finality, keeping her business-like tone. “With your antics on and off the battlefield, you won’t even notice the difference between a rock and a Gui’s leg,” she continued, facing the blonde, trying to keep the formal air in her remark although her lips cannot help but curl upward ever so slightly. She felt rather guilty of babying Hope too much as well, taking responsibility of his well-being but not realizing that he’s not a kid anymore. Facing the burden of becoming a l’Cie can drastically change a person.

“Hey, I resent that!” Snow growled, though his features were like a happy puppy. “But thank you, Sis!”

“You and Serah aren’t married yet, if I recall correctly.”

“Well, how about you sleep early and the hero will take over?” Snow proposed, changing the subject in a heartbeat, obviously pumped up by Lightning’s seal of approval to go hunting.

Feeling that she was offered a good bargain and knowing Snow can look out for himself, she took her proud persona down and soon after, the effects of slaying tortoises sunk in.

“If you’re sure.”

“Alright, off you go! Sweet dreams!” the blond said excitedly, scatting a tone that Hope usually hums when he polishes his boomerang as he sat on the same rock Lightning was occupying prior to their talk.

She was actually sleepy if she were being totally honest with herself, so she nodded and headed back to camp, situating herself at a laid-out quilted mattress that they salvaged from Oerba.

Before falling asleep though, her mind was itching to remember something but she dropped it, believing she’s just tired and rest should be her best option for the night.

* * *

 Morning came, and the camp was still silent. Tired from yesterday’s events, everyone was still in different states of slumber.

But not for long.

It was still a bit dark out, but the Amphisbaenas’ howls hovering over the Steppes woke Hope rather abruptly, causing him to notice soon after that he’s the early bird of the group this time. Unusual, since it’s always Snow that nudged him awake, and all those times he’s the last one to get out of his tent, with everyone already freshened up.

 _“Another boring day, it seems,”_ he thought, stretching his arms before unzipping the flap of his makeshift abode, peeking out and observing the immediate surroundings.

* * *

 Morning came, and the camp was still silent. Tired from yesterday’s events, everyone was still in different states of slumber.

…including the guard-on-duty.

Snow was literally drooling and snoring slightly. Sleeping while sitting up can do that to almost anybody, heroes are no exception. He was having a nice snooze when he suddenly felt a little off-balance due to the fact that he wasn’t lying down. That shoved him a bit into the waking world but not enough to pull him out there yet.

There was a tingling, refreshing sensation that lingered on his nape and although it was totally asking him to go deeper into the realms of sleep, his heroic sense won, jolting him awake when he suddenly remembered that he’s supposed to watch over the group.

“What the –”

“Sleeping on duty? How unbecoming,” a familiar voice admonished behind him, adding a click of the tongue to add fuel to the fire.

Snow snorted half-heartedly. “If you’re lively enough to throw insults at this ungodly hour, can you give me five minutes to turn off my snooze alarm and take over while I try to compose myself?”

“Sure thing. I’ll just sit here and guard the camp too while I try out how my Cure spells work on the kinks on somebody’s neck due to improper sleeping posture,” Hope said, deeming that two could play the game. He slumped beside the rock where Snow was currently trying hard not to doze off on and he rested his back on one of the sentinel’s legs.

Hope hummed his signature tune and started the clicking mayhem of hinging-unhinging his newly-upgraded boomerang. The sound of the boy’s humming was soothing, but the clicks – they were becoming downright annoying to someone who’s almost falling asleep, leaving Snow with no choice but to wake up completely.

“Alright, alright. You win. I’m awake now. Happy?” Snow grunted, stretching his arms and popping a few joints on his neck. He expected neck and back pains, but it seemed that Hope rectified that before he was awake enough to feel those.

Hope relaxed more against Snow’s sturdy leg, unconsciously relishing the comfortable warmth coming from the big guy. “Not really. I’m reinforcing Light’s teachings. You're lucky I’m the one who found out that you're slacking.”

“Thanks for the heals and the warning then,” Snow retorted, trying to sound pissed off, yet his gloved hand made its way to the younger l’Cie’s locks and started to massage the boy’s scalp gently. “This isn't Cure, but it’s the best I can manage,” he chuckled softly and turned his gaze to the camp. “Anyway, you should still be asleep. Kids won’t grow tall if they don’t sleep a lot.”

The said kid hissed on the remark by reflex. “I’m not a kid. At least I eat vegetables. You would be surprised if I somehow grew taller than you when I’m 27, big guy.”

“Hah! We’ll see about that, smartass.”

They remained like that for what seemed hours, and Hope promptly fell asleep due to Snow’s ministrations.

* * *

 “Oh. What do we have here?”

Of course, Fang rivals Lightning at the morning roll-call. The two of them are seasoned warriors, ready to pounce within a second’s notice. The dragoon just found her prey for breakfast, and she walked towards the two without much sound, probably not wanting the silverette to be jumpstarted in the wrong way.

“I didn’t know you’re the touchy-feely type,” Fang remarked, Snow still continuing to mess with Hope’s hair and laughing at her comment.

“You think so?” he replied, careful not to move an inch since the boy would definitely fall hard if he budged even a tiny bit. He was the one who said that kids should sleep more, right? “Never heard that you’re such a morning person.”

Fang returned it with a knowing glint in her eye and a dismissive chuckle. “There’s always danger in Gran Pulse; you must be alert at all times so getting all grumpy in the morning muddles your fight-or-flight system. Since you’re a newcomer, I’ll give you some leeway.”

“Geez, am I that unreliable?” Snow groaned. The truth hurts sometimes.

The dragoon canted her head a little and gave him a quick once-over. “See the young man? I think that explains that.”

Snow was silent; he didn’t know if he should take it as a compliment.

“Oh, well. Lightning told me just now that you’re on a turtle hunt today. Be sure to keep Hope safe, bring them goodies back, and best of luck later. You’ll earn a nice, high-protein meal once you return, eh?” Fang ended the conversation with a wink and she went off to the waterfall side of Vallis Media.

* * *

 “Careful now!”

Hope took the lead in the Adamantoise hunt for Platinum Ingots, and Lightning can’t help but notice the boy’s zeal in commanding the team. Acknowledging the boy’s judgment, she took on her role as a Ravager with Hope while Snow focused on keeping their attack chains from disengaging and occasionally switching to Ravager too for a Tri-Disaster setup which proved effective in staggering the gigantic creature.

It was noticeably slower compared to her runs with Vanille and Fang, but they were making good progress. And one more thing; Hope actually hits really hard. Probably due to Snow’s tutelage in the Commando role? Or maybe her own idea that when something isn’t effective, try to make use of something you’re best at?

She could feel a sense of pride observing the boy’s growth from the sidelines. Who would've thought that the Hope’s Ruin barrage could shatter the chunk of boulder called an Adamantoise leg with ease?

Her joy was short-lived however when the two bickered _again_ in the _middle of the fight_.

“Hm. Maybe Pulse veggies are really doing you good.”

Froststrike. Blizzara.

Stagger.

“Right. You should eat those too or I’ll outgrow you soon.”

Paradigm Shift: Cerberus.

“Not in the next five hundred years, my boy.”

Adamantoise down.

“You’re on, Hero.”

Ruin. Ruin. Ruin. Ruin. Ruin.

“I knew it. You going Commando must be the best idea ever.”

“…eh?”

Hope has the tendency get flustered if a blonde hero throws the same jibe when somebody else is around, especially when that somebody has the name 'Lightning'.

Even that somebody was a little stunned at the course of their mid-battle conversation. “Focus!” Lightning yelled, relinquishing the leader role for a second to somehow drill some sense back to the two men. “As much as you’re doing well, we still got ways to go before this wretched beast succumbs to defeat! Enough!”

It was a second too late. They didn’t realize that the tortoise was slowly regaining its normal stance, and it would cause an...

Earthquake...without prior notice.

“Snow!” Hope screamed, switching to Medic without any announcement and sent rounds after rounds of Cure to the hurting blonde. Snow took most of the brunt due to staying near the epicenter of the attack.

“Tch. That hurts,” Snow said more to himself, getting back on his feet from flinching due to the tremors on the ground. One more hit and he would soon be knocked unconscious. Lightning was lucky enough to be able to dodge it and the succeeding stomps with backflips; this was probably why she was able to keep up with Fang and Vanille during their skirmishes.

The bad news? Snow and Hope aren’t really acrobats in the field.

Now, it’s a race between salvation and catastrophe. Lightning knew she won’t be able to last any longer should another set of stomps commence, and judging Snow’s demeanor, he won’t sustain more than three hits.

The Adamantoise roared angrily; its nearing defeat triggered its survival mechanism – throwing all its attacks in succession without too long a pause. The Guardian Corps member wracked her brain for a good tactic to use, but nothing seems to be of much use. They’re dead meat in a few, if not in a literal sense. She still got two Phoenix Downs she was keeping in dire situations, but those miraculous feathers can only do so much; it can never return a departed one to the realm of the living.

 _“Fuck,”_ she cursed mentally. She expected Hope to take care of the team; she just probably put so much – no, she _still_ trusts him. It probably was her own fault to begin with, the plan to take them out to the Steppes and all. Blaming herself for not training Hope more, she swallowed the bitter taste forming in her mouth as she tried to continue her attacks from afar, hoping that one of those might stagger the damn turtle once more.

“Hope, listen. I _need_ you to run away with Lightning before shit hits the fan, you hear me?” Snow gasped in labored breaths, still holding his ground, soaking up damage in between freezing punches and hoping that the Adamantoise won’t do a stomp that could knock him out.

The boy panicked. “N-no way. Absolutely not!”

Hyperventilating, he stood ground too, switching every so often to heal the damage of the onslaught but failing bit by bit. If stopped the Cures now, he wouldn’t know what might happen to the blonde. He was thankful that Lightning decided to be quite far so healing her wouldn’t be a problem since she can dodge the incoming tremor if she observed its source from a manageable distance. Too bad for Snow though; the thing with Medic spells was that these take time to reach its targets. Being far from him was definitely not an option. Summoning an Eidolon won’t help much too; it took too much time and concentration that they'd be dead before the summoning was completed.

“How will I explain to Serah that we lost you by saving our asses?” Hope hissed in pain after sustaining yet another attack while frantically alternating elemental spells and Cures. “How will you save Cocoon if you’re dead? How will I get to see if I grew taller than you on my 27th if you're no longer around, huh?”

Another hit, another Cure.

Snow spat blood before taking an offensive stance, hitting one of the legs with a round of Froststrikes. “Just…stop. As your name implies, you should live on and bring hope to all. That’s enough. Now go,” he said in between ragged pants, glancing at Lightning from behind him, shouting as far as his lungs can allow.

“Hey Lightning, you take care of my dear Hope here, eh? And say sorry to Serah for me once you bring her back!” he yelled, sporting his usual grin though it seemed more pained than anything else.

Aghast, Lightning was about say a piece of her mind to re-set some of Snow’s loose screws when Hope beat her to it in record time.

“You idiot!” Hope cried, clutching his boomerang so hard that it almost drew blood.

Cure. Cure. Cure.

“ _I need you._ As long as I _need_ you, you are not allowed to die,” Hope whispered harshly, akin to a desperate prayer.

The Adamantoise wailed yet again – it might spell their end for real. The tell-tale signs of another Earthquake caused ringing in the group’s ears, a funeral bell in its own accord. Lightning closed her eyes hard, readying her precious items to be used immediately if the attack connected, but she clung on Hope’s decision-making skill, trusting him to deal with this on his own.

Snow shut his eyes and expected a continuous assault of pain, but each time the ground shook, he felt it was getting weaker and weaker, as if his body was becoming numb from the attacks.

Earthquake.

A healing wave.

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

Another healing wave.

Lightning and Snow took the chance to take a glance at the battlefield and could not help but stare in awe at their leader, now facing the Adamantoise by himself.

“I’m the one you want!”

What lied ahead was Hope, glowing as he invoked the Sentinel role, channeling Steelguard boosted with Fringeward. The stomping relentlessly continued, but the boy did not budge, standing strong the same way how indestructible bastion Alexander does when Hope summons him. In between a few stomps, he switched to back Medic and sent waves upon waves of Curasa to Snow and Lightning, undoing the hurt his backup sustained.

“Snow is _mine_.”

Hope’s sentence carried an icy chill, colder than the breath of Shiva herself. The Adamantoise growled and prepared to unleash its final attack. Snow was still stunned at the kid’s words, unable to do anything but process what he said.

Earthquake.

Tremors shook the ground, the roaring soil endlessly chanting their doom. The earth trembled, flinching Snow and Lightning, halting any actions. Lightning tried hard to keep her stance, eyes wide as she saw red swimming in her vision.

“Hope!” Snow’s raspy voice gritted like sandpaper grating against millennia-old metal back in Oerba. Dust covered his sight and he got worried for he cannot see the kid amid the smoke-like screen.

The dust settled a few moments after, revealing a bleeding and bruised Sentinel, still in the same position as before, steadfast, unmoving.

“I…” Hope mumbled softly, sounding tired yet composed at the same time, switching to his Ravager role in a split-second.

“…don’t know my own strength.”

Orbs of light materialized as he raised his hand, whistling in a high-pitched tone that was oddly calming. Those were beautiful, like pearls fresh from the sea.

Fragile, but unlike the semi-precious gems, these ones…are deadly.

The orbs flew higher and higher, turning into mere pinpoints of light from afar, then, in a blink of an eye, those same orbs descended in full speed, its sound as if ripping a soul into shreds. As soon as it collided with the ground, the pristine white blasts decimated the creature until nothing was left.

* * *

 Floating.

_“My body feels light… Am I…”_

A revitalizing pulse.

“A-alexander?”

Cloth pressing against cheeks. The material felt rough on his skin.

A stream of heartbeats?

This was totally not Alexander.

He noticed the arms that were carrying him. Then, a familiar scent.

A familiar warmth.

“Unlike that big guy, I’m probably much easier to summon.”

“S-snow? What…happened?” he asked, his throat parched, making him sound like a dying man, straining his eyes soon after opening them due to the sudden assault of light on his retinas.

The said man chuckled, sending vibrations that lulled Hope closer back to the vestiges of sleep. “You were so awesome there! Even Lightning was amazed that you pack that kind of punch in you. By the looks of it, you can be a hero too, but not more than I am!”

His head hurt and his mind cannot handle the annoyingly endearing chatter that Snow provided.

“And whoo-boy, you even upgraded your Crystarium _while_ in battle. Not even the Fang can do that.”

“Can you please stop talking for a moment? My head's spinning and my gray matter can’t take any more abuse, thank you.”

“Haha! Cheeky as always. Of course, Professor Estheim, the l’Cie genius. Pardon the measly Cures, I need to practice this so I can watch your back all the time.”

“Shut up.”

“Fine.”

 _“And he learned the Medic role, huh?”_ Hope concluded, relishing the older man’s gradually firming hold and the continuous waves of Cure easing his body pain little by little. He wouldn’t mind being the blonde’s lab rat for the meantime.

Even if it’s just baby steps for Snow, it meant much more to him. He felt _needed_ by someone, even if said someone didn’t understand the gravity of it yet.

Question is…

_“What do I need Snow for again?”_

* * *

 Lightning heard everything.

Blame her good hearing; it comes with the job. She was a bit seething, yet she couldn’t stay angry at Snow. Somehow, she believed that this was the natural order of things, one that she couldn’t change no matter what she did.

Then, it all clicked.

The lingering touches. The playful banter. The never-ending bickering. The struggle to prove one’s worth.

Seriously, the two have been trying to get each other’s attention, and Hope apparently manned-up and marked his territory first. Snow, on another note, as awfully dense as he was, probably never realized that he always had his eyes on Hope. No wonder he never reacted as she was expecting when she flung the “not yet married” grenade at him.

This was a bit too much for her to take at once.

As she followed the semi-inseparable duo’s trek back to Vallis Media, Lightning pursed her lips and sucked in air to calm her thoughts, pushing aside the memory of the earlier events in favor of wondering what they would have for dinner.

_“Serah, how can I explain this...sudden development to you?”_

 

Unbeknownst to her, Serah has been watching the whole time.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I know that Hope cannot learn Steelguard and Fringeward - those are Snow's specialty anyway, so I thought, "Hey, since Hope's all that observant during a fight, he might've picked that up and tried to emulate it despite the said abilities being nonexistent in his own Crystarium?"
> 
> Also, Hope has access to Reprieve too, so the chances to one-shot him reduced by a fraction, hence, his cockroach-like quality at the latter part of the fic.
> 
> There are tiny spoilers from FF XIII-2 and Lightning Returns appear here if you squint. :D
> 
> Well, so much for the gameplay-laden blah-blahs. Hope you liked it!


End file.
